With A Little Help From Facebook Friends
Sam Coates [of the Times, not ConervativeHome] is writing the Times’ News Blog during the Conference season. His latest entry is on the Lib Dems Conference focuses on the discovery of Facebook by politicians:
Is this an innovative way of tapping into the somewhat nebulous “new politics” concept? Or do you, like I did, read the following passage from the speech by Steve Webb – the party’s manifesto chief – and weep… [read the rest]
I have to say that I disagree with him. I think it is a good thing that politicians have discovered Facebook, if they use it to actually connect with young people. It’s all too easy to write it off as a gimmick and as a cringe-worthy attempt to be “down with the kids” but if they actually use it to connect with and listen to the young people in their constituency, then it can be nothing but an unqualified good.
The reason that young people are often seen as disconnected from politics is because it operates in a different way to them, in different spheres of human life and society. Politicians have a duty to attempt to connect with all members of the electorate, and they’re not able to connect with the vast majority of young people through the normal means.
Facebook is a good way for politicians to link with young people in their constituency. They can connect with them and hear their opinions. They can find out which issues most concern them, and what they think could or should be done about them.
That politicians are ready and willing to take the initiative to get in contact with and listen to the concerns of young people is certainly a good thing. They should do everything that they can in order to get young people interested in politics, and to hear their opinions.
Even if it can be as cringe-worthy as the uncle on the wedding dance floor.
Call me what you will but I’d still rather see good old fashioned leaflets stuffed through the letterbox then invitations to join party political groups on Facebook.
At least thet way you know that some of their activists have actually been down your way!
Leaflets are still essential. Facebook and the like is on top of the ‘old fashioned’ ways of engaging, and tend to be aimed at different people.
To not deliver leaflets and rely on Facebook is even worse than not bothering with Facebook at all!
“To not deliver leaflets and rely on Facebook is even worse than not bothering with Facebook at all!”
Well I can think of at least one party (who shall remain nameless) who operate like that round here.
As to the claim that Facebook and leaflets are aimed at different people, I’d dispute that. If you have a letterbox (and most Facebook users do!) then you can be reached by leaflet.
I’d argue more that the 2 mediums have different uses, with Facebook better for organizing and leaflets bettewr for advertising.
But most facebook users aren’t house owners. If leaflets were enough to engage young people, there wouldn’t be any need for politicians to be on facebook. But they’re not. To start with, they don’t bother reading them.
Facebook does have a more organising use, but it is also useful for communication between politicians and young constituents. Leaflets tend to deal with small local problems, which young people tend to be less bothered with unless they directly affect them – such as public transport. Apart from that, they usually don’t care.
“But most facebook users aren’t house owners.”
They live in houses don’t they?
“If leaflets were enough to engage young people, there wouldn’t be any need for politicians to be on facebook. But they’re not.”
Whoever said that it’s only the young on Facebook anyway?
“To start with, they don’t bother reading them.”
Does anyone?
“Leaflets tend to deal with small local problems, which young people tend to be less bothered with unless they directly affect them – such as public transport.”
Strangely enough, local issues often tend to matter to people as much as national ones. It’s all very well banging on about Iraq for instance, but more often then not the issues which really get people are such mundane things as bin collections and attempts at local regeneration.
And even then Facebook has some use. I’m sure you’ve come across local camapigns on Facebook for things such as “Clingoe Hill: Road Safety Now!” on Facebook just as one example so I wouldn’t just thing of Facebook as something for just banging on about national issues.
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